YESTERDAY.....DECEMBER 20 2011....

...Was my annual "get together with my sister" for lunch and then our Christmas exchange. We have done this for years in the days immediately preceding Christmas.

Of my generation, my sister and I are the only ones left.  Once we are gone, this branch of our family goes also.  We had no brothers, one cousin on my father's side, who is gone, and that is it.  We are it.  Kind of gives you a funny feeling.

My sister and I see each other different times during the year, but this get-together day has always been special.  We used to take a day and shop all day together, then a little later get together to exchange our gifts.   Then the shopping day dropped to half a day.  Now we don't do shopping together anymore, just have our exchange day.  Oh, to be young and frisky again!!!!

Last night helped Jerry prepare our famous stir-fry, as where he works is having a Christmas eat-in this year.  Something different.  So is the stir-fry, the recipe which came from daughter Linda - Jerry's sister - in Arizona.

It takes a while.  It contains cubed steak, chunked sweet and/or hot sausage links, white potatoes and sweet potatoes, chunked, large red onion chopped, red, green, yellow sweet peppers cubed, and canned chillies and, if wanted jalapeno pepper. 

Once all the prep is done, the meat is stir-fried until no pink shows.  All other ingredients added, and simmered until potatoes cooked.  Add chillies and jalapeno.  Really good eating.  It is like chili and vegetable soup - better the next day. 

I mentioned to Jerry, while watching the supposed Steeler game that I had just checked the stir-fry and there was a great big sign attached to the skillet staying SAMPLE ME.

Next thing I know he is bringing a bowl to me, along with one for him, and we sampled.  Could have sampled a lot more, as usually when we do this stir-fry there is no such thing as left overs.

Don't know what today will hold.  Every day is a surprise. 

So will sign off for now, but wanted to share another picture I took in Nashville at ICE.  What a fun day that was.

The first is daughter Linda and me standing under the ice candy canes, and the other was the last of the displays as we were exiting the building.  The 40 plus degrees when we exited felt like a sauna after spending an hour in the 0 degree Ice Palace.

Have a great day, pretend the sun is shining, because it is somewhere, and God Bless.